Undergraduate medical education

Abstract

The number of applicants to US medical schools continued to decline, while the number of accepted applicants increased slightly. From 1987-1988 to 1988-1989 academic years, the number of first-year medical students (including repeaters) who were white non-Hispanic males decreased 2.5%, the number of black non-Hispanic males decreased 6.3%, and the number of Asians or Pacific Islander males increased 10.3%. During the same period, the number of first-year students who were white non-Hispanic females decreased 0.8%, the number of black non-Hispanic females decreased 4.8%, and the number of Asians or Pacific Islander females increased 13.7%. Women constituted one third of the entering class in the 1988-1989 academic year. During the past 5 years, the ratio of full-time medical school faculty to medical students increased from 0.88 to 1.08. About 4.8% of budgeted full-time faculty positions were unfilled, down from 5% in the 1987-1988 academic year. However, in the 1988-1989 academic year, more than 5% of positions were unfilled in microbiology, anesthesiology, dermatology, family medicine, neurology, obstetrics-gynecology, ophthalmology, orthopedics, pediatrics, and surgery. Many schools are showing signs of adopting new curricular approaches. A majority of medical schools have implemented many recommendations of the GPEP Report, at least at some level. Problem-based learning is present in the curriculum of 82% of schools, mainly as an experience in one or a few courses. In about two-thirds of schools, computer-based instruction is a formal part of one or more courses or laboratories. Thus, the medical schools appear to be addressing the challenges presented by the changing environment of medical education.